‘Exhausting, confusing, and career limiting’: Ex Microsoft engineer builds AI platform to help workers, employers navigate US visa system 

An Indian tech professional has developed an artificial intelligence platform to help employers and workers navigate the complex US visa system.

Priyanka Kulkarni, a 34-year-old machine learning scientist and former Microsoft engineer, spent nine years on a visa before deciding to build a faster, technology-driven solution. Her startup, Casium, offers a digital portal that streamlines employment-based immigration paperwork.

Casium allows companies to manage visa cases from start to finish, replacing spreadsheets and reducing dependence on expensive law firms. The platform is designed to adapt to evolving US immigration policies, particularly after the Trump administration introduced a rule imposing a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa application, she told Business Insider.

Casium says its system can speed up visa processing by automating data collection and document preparation. The platform has already assisted hundreds of applicants with assessments, compliance reviews, and filings—with some cases reportedly moving from application to employment in less than a month, Business Insider reported.

Founded in 2024, Casium recently raised $5 million in seed funding, led by Maverick Ventures, with participation from AI2 Incubator, GTMfund, Success Venture Partners, and angel investor Jake Heller—whose company, Casetext, was acquired by Thomson Reuters in 2023.

Applicants begin by filling out an intake form. Casium’s AI “agents” then analyze public data such as research papers and patents to build a detailed profile. Within minutes, the platform produces a dossier that is reviewed by independent lawyers and paralegals, who recommend the most suitable visa category—H-1B, O-1, or EB-1A.

Kulkarni said Casium’s technology can cut document preparation time from several months to around ten business days while reducing errors that could delay approvals.

Born and raised in India, Kulkarni joined Microsoft straight out of college and worked on AI strategy for products like Office while on an H-1B visa. “Honestly, it was exhausting, confusing, and at times could feel very career-limiting,” she told Business Insider.

Her own experience inspired Casium. After joining Seattle’s AI2 Incubator last year, she applied for the EB-1 visa—often called the “Einstein visa” for individuals with extraordinary abilities. Reflecting on her journey, she said, “Everything I’ve done has culminated in this point.”